I don't remember the last time I was so excited about recommending a book. I just discovered this masterpiece and now it's sitting propped up on my desk, partly because it's too big to fit any of my bookshelves (!) but also because Oh. My. Goodness. It's beautiful.
Here's the official story behind the project: "The book began as a response to the removal of everyday nature words – among them 'acorn', 'bluebell', 'kingfisher' and 'wren' – from a widely used children’s dictionary, because those words were not being used enough by children to merit inclusion. But The Lost Words then grew to become a much broader protest at the loss of the natural world around us, as well as a celebration of the creatures and plants with which we share our lives, in all their wonderful, characterful glory."
Brought to life by Jackie Morris's exquisite watercolor paintings, Robert Macfarlane's poems are glorious to read out loud, full of alliteration and internal rhyme and wordplay reminiscent of one of my other favorite poets, Gerard Manley Hopkins. I could say more, but the best introduction might actually be this review (linked below) which is inspiring in its own right. Read the review, then buy the book, then tell me which poem is your favorite (mine is "Kingfisher").
Click here to read “Litanies of Reclamation: A Review of The Lost Words.”